With rightly chosen bridal accessories you will be a real queen on your wedding Added: 10/26/2005

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Although marriage customs vary greatly from one culture to another, the importance of the institution is universally acknowledged. In most societies, marriage is established through a contractual procedure, generally with some sort of religious sanction. In Western societies the contract of marriage is often regarded as a religious sacrament.Most marriages are preceded by a betrothal period, during which various rituals, such as exchanges of gifts, bridal accessories and visits, lead to the final wedding ceremony and make the claims of the partners public. Most wedding ceremonies involve rituals and symbolism that reflect the desire for fertility, such as the sprinkling of the bridal couple with rice, the bride's adornment with orange blossom, presenting wedding jewelry, wedding shoes. Hindus, Buddhists, and many other communities consult astrologers before and after marriages are arranged to choose an auspicious date and time. In some societies fear of hostile spirits leads bridal couples to wear, instead of bridal accessories, disguises at their weddings or sometimes even to send substitutes to the ceremony. In some countries, for instance Ethiopia, it was long customary to place an armed guard by the bridal couple during the wedding ceremony to protect them from demons. The breaking of family or community ties implicit in most marriages is often expressed through gifts made to the family of the bride. The new bonds between the married couple are frequently represented by an exchange of rings and/or wedding jewelry. Finally, the interest of the community is expressed in many ways, through feasting and dancing. Because the family unit provides the framework for most human social activity, and since it is the foundation on which social organization is based in most cultures, marriage is closely tied to economics, law, and religion. The institution of marriage has altered fundamentally in Western societies as a result of social changes brought about by the Reformation, the Industrial Revolution, and a growing ideology of individualism. The rise of a strong middle class and the growth of democracy gradually brought about a tolerance for the idea of romantic marriages based on free choice. Arranged marriages, which had been accepted almost everywhere throughout history, eventually ceased to predominate in Western societies, although they persisted as the norm in aristocratic society up to the mid-20th century. It has become a custom, that on a wedding day gifts, bridal accessories, wedding jewelry, wedding shoes etc. were made available. Among the changes that have affected marriage in modern times were new bridal accessories, new wedding jewelry, wedding shoes and other items. Social changes that followed were: the increase in the incidence of (and tolerance shown towards) premarital sex brought on by the relaxation of sexual taboos, and the gradual rise in the average marriage age; the increase in the number of women pursuing careers outside the home, which has led to the changed economic status of women; and the liberalization of divorce laws, including the legalization of divorce for the first time in Italy in 1970, although in some other countries, such as Ireland, it is still illegal. Also significant have been the legalization of abortion, the improvement and increased accessibility of birth control, the removal of legal and social handicaps for children of unmarried people, and changes in the accepted concepts of male and female roles in society.

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